Under Killing Intent

2024-07-31

"Captain Sun did indeed come here to drink that day. He was in the Heaven-class private room on the second floor, and he... he even called Xiao Qian and Xiao Yue to accompany him. He didn't leave until the latter half of the night. Nothing happened during that time."

The madam trembled as she spoke, truthfully explaining everything.

Liang Chuanshan then summoned Xiao Qian and Xiao Yue separately and questioned them carefully, confirming whether the details in their accounts matched.

"Changming, come on. Let's go up and take a look." Lu Gang suddenly patted Song Changming on the shoulder and strode toward the stairs.

The two arrived at the private room on the second floor where Sun Wenyen had stayed and searched it thoroughly.

Song Changming knew too little about Sun Wenyen. He had no idea who the man had offended, and he had not even seen Sun Wenyen's corpse. He made no assumptions and simply followed behind, doing what he was told.

After half a day, they had thoroughly investigated Spring Breeze Garden. Then, everyone went to inspect the alley where Sun Wenyen had died.

At a glance, Song Changming could clearly see distinct blade marks on the walls lining both sides of the alley and on the ground.

There was also a patch of dried blood, left behind by Sun Wenyen.

"Judging from the scattered blade marks, Sun Wenyen was probably besieged by several skilled swordsmen," Lu Gang said with a frown, touching the marks on the wall.

Though Sun Wenyen was unpleasant, his personal strength was still worthy of recognition. After all, he could not have become a Patrol Captain on empty fame alone; he must have possessed genuine skill.

And whoever had killed Sun Wenyen, even if he had been drunk at the time, had proven that they were no weaklings.

They were at least Martial Artists with blade techniques at the Minor Accomplishment stage!

"No one local would dare kill him. It's more likely the work of outsiders—wandering Martial Artists," Liang Chuanshan said, stretching lazily and closing his eyes.

"Zhang Sihai and Qian Wen were closer to Sun Wenyen. They might know who Sun Wenyen had offended recently. Let them solve this case. We're done for the day."

With that, Liang Chuanshan turned and left.

"Captain, the Director takes this case seriously. Whoever solves it will earn no small amount of credit," Lu Gang said as he stepped forward, seeing Liang Chuanshan's lack of enthusiasm.

"There are no leads. What are we supposed to solve? Be careful lately. Avoid walking at night, lest you end up being targeted and killed as well." Liang Chuanshan shook his head and warned the Patrol Guards beneath him.

If their target was not merely Sun Wenyen, but a crazed retaliation against the entire Patrol Guard Headquarters, then every one of them was in danger.

This was not unprecedented.

Even Imperial Court officials had been assassinated before. There were always madmen willing to do mad things.

Song Changming could not help becoming more vigilant after Liang Chuanshan's warning.

Over the next several days, just as the case showed no progress, three more Patrol Guards were killed on the same night. Their bodies were dumped in the streets and discovered only the next day.

After examination, the blade wounds on those three Patrol Guards were identical to those on Sun Wenyen's body. They had clearly been killed by the same group.

This made the enemy's target even clearer. They were not targeting Sun Wenyen alone—they bore hostility toward every Patrol Guard in the Houli Street Patrol Guard Headquarters!

For a time, every Patrol Guard serving on Houli Street was gripped by fear.

"Not another Patrol Guard Headquarters in the city, but ours on Houli Street. From the standpoint of the entire Patrol Guard Headquarters, who have we offended recently?" Song Changming muttered in the small courtyard.

"The Nine Bends Society."

"Mm." Lu Gang folded his arms and leaned against a courtyard pillar beside Song Changming, nodding in agreement.

"Captain Liang and I also considered whether the Nine Bends Society had been bold enough to do this. We already had the Patrol Guard Headquarters' spies watch them closely. But on the nights of the incidents, the Nine Bends Society made no moves.

"It wasn't them. Or rather, it wasn't those experts of the Nine Bends Society who acted."

Hearing that, Song Changming said no more.

If the Nine Bends Society was not currently under suspicion, he truly could not think of any other leads.

"Another one's dead! Another Patrol Guard has been killed!"

A spy from the Patrol Guard Headquarters suddenly burst in and reported.

Upon hearing this, the Patrol Guards in the courtyard immediately grew restless.

The previous two attacks had taken place at night, but this time, a Patrol Guard had been assassinated in broad daylight. They had greatly underestimated the enemy's audacity.

Liang Chuanshan, seated on a bench, looked grim as well.

This was practically a slap in the face to every Patrol Guard in the Patrol Guard Headquarters. They were being treated like pigs and sheep, slaughtered at will.

"Did no one see the killer?!" Lu Gang asked with furrowed brows.

"No. The enemy is very cunning," the spy said, shaking his head.

"This was not the work of an ordinary Martial Artist. Such meticulous assassination methods—he must be a veteran." Lu Gang looked toward Liang Chuanshan.

"A civilian assassin?" Just as Liang Chuanshan was considering it, even the Director above could no longer sit still and sent someone to summon him for discussion.

That night, the moonlight was dark as ink, and the starlight was faint.

Song Changming and Lu Gang walked together down an empty street, neither saying a word.

Only gusts of wind swept through the street. No other sound could be heard.

[Today's Evaluation: A boring day. Lifespan +5. Obtained limited-time status: 'Muddling Along']

Seeing the daily evaluation appear at midnight, Song Changming shook his head inwardly.

These past two days, the criminal had left him little time to practice his blade. It would have been one thing if they had uncovered some clues, but most of the time, they could only search around like headless flies and find nothing.

As a result, his daily evaluations had inevitably declined.

"Brother Lu, will the enemy really take such an obvious bait?" After a long while, when it was already the latter half of the night, Song Changming could not help asking.

"With how brazen they've been, they probably will. We just don't know whether they'll target us or someone else," Lu Gang replied quietly.

This was an order personally issued by the Director. Every Patrol Guard Team was to send out two people as bait, responsible for drawing out the enemy.

As the two strongest members of their team, Lu Gang and Song Changming had been entrusted by Liang Chuanshan with this important task and had become one of the bait groups.

It also gave Song Changming the chance to experience night patrol duty again after a long absence.

Just as the two passed the entrance of a pitch-black alley, a fierce gust of wind suddenly rushed at them.

"Watch out!" Lu Gang reacted at once, drawing his blade first to block it.

Only then did Song Changming see clearly. It was a blade extending from a dark corner of the alley, aimed directly at him and Lu Gang.

The next instant, another blade stabbed out from the other side, shooting straight for Lu Gang's throat.

The blades came swift and vicious, incredibly fast.

At the critical moment, Song Changming stepped forward. The hand already resting on his hilt suddenly tightened, and his long blade left its sheath!

The two blades collided. The enemy's long blade was instantly knocked aside, revealing its wielder.

An assassin dressed in black!

At that moment, a third blade appeared without a sound, slashing at Song Changming's thigh from a vicious angle.

Song Changming immediately withdrew, retreating together with Lu Gang.

Three assassins dressed in black emerged from the alley. Their faces could not be seen, only three pairs of eyes filled with killing intent.

Song Changming's heart tightened.

The assassins had truly appeared—and there were three of them!